6,972 Time Lucky
by Two Drunk Elves
Summary: Double, double, toil and trouble...what do you get when you mix essence of Lily, James extract and just a touch of Felix Felicis? WARNING: Extremely explosive mixture. Read at own risk. Dragonhide attire recommmended.
1. Chapter 1

**Six Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy Second Time Lucky** By the Drunk Elves 

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Dibby: HIYA! IT'S THE DRUNKIES, BACK AGAIN!

Winky: -----rolls eyes----- Sorry, Dobby is having had too much Firewhiskey again.

Dibby: WOOHOO! ANOTHER CHAPTERED FICCIE!

Winky: For once, Dibby – I mean, Dobby – speaks the truth. This is our second chaptered fic. I is once again apologizing for Dobby's idiocy.

Dobby: -----cross-eyed----- Who is you -----hic----- calling an idiot? I is NOT -----hic----- drunk!

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**Chapter One – Essence of Insanity**

As James and the other Marauders climbed through the portrait-hole, James led them over to the best spot in the common room: the one where they could see everything and everyone. Or rather, where everything and everyone could see them.

With a quick surveying glance, James could tell that they had the attention of nearly all the girls in the room (Molly Roxhand, the most vehement Marauder fangirl was even wearing an 'I love Sirius' t-shirt). 'Nearly' being the operative word. They had the attention of all the girls except for a certain stubborn redhead and her friends who were talking and laughing amongst themselves as if the Marauders didn't exist.

James turned to Sirius and said loud enough for people to hear, "That was an awesome prank we played on Snivellus, huh?"

Sirius grinned. "Didn't know what hit him! The best part is, it won't wear off for a week!" He let out a bark of laughter, and most people joined in.

"How ever did you do it?" asked Molly breathlessly.

James turned to her and said, "Well, it was a pretty complicated piece of magic, and it did take quite a bit of research. We went through a few beauty-enhancing, girly books and created a few hybrid spells. In the end, Snivellus became a Playwizard bunny exactly, except for his huge nose."

Sirius added, with a grin that made all the girls in the room (except for aforementioned stubborn redhead and co.) swoon, "We got a month's detentions!"

Molly rolled her eyes, but smiled, saying that they were idiots, but very brilliant idiots at that.

Once James realised he'd lost his audience, he slumped back on his armchair. His gaze wandered across the common room resting on a bit of red that was brighter than the rest of the Gryffindor common room. And the Gryffindor common room was quite red.

Funnily enough, this red was visible over the back of a chair. A chair in which a stubborn redhead was sitting. Stubbornly ignoring the fact that she had the rapt attention of a pair of bright hazel eyes. All in all, being very stubborn.

Remus and Sirius noticed the direction of his gaze. Remus rolled his eyes and started to help Peter with their Transfiguration essay. Sirius leaned closer to James and muttered, "Look, mate, why don't you go for it again? Tonight?"

James turned to him, his expression incredulous. "Padfoot – she hates me. She's said no all those other times. Six thousand nine hundred and seventy second time lucky, you think?"

Sirius' face flashed with a bright hope; you could practically see the light-bulb above his head. Then he smirked. "You count how many times Lily turned you down?"

James flushed. "Of course not." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, what was your idea?"

Sirius became serious. Really, we're serious. Well, we're not Sirius, he's Sirius. Anyway, he was as seriously serious as Sirius could seriously become. Serious said very siriusly- Uh-oh, we're getting confused. Sirius said very seriously, "Come with me," and he dragged James up the boys' dormitory stairs into the seventh year boys' dorm.

Once in, he told James to close his eyes and when told to open them, he was seeing floor where Sirius' bed used to be – well, the floor was covered with a range of things.

Dirty socks and clothes, a muddy Quidditch robe – 'So that's where it went,' thought James – Frank Longbottom's toad, a stash of Every Flavour Beans and an assortment of jars and bottles containing different liquids.

"Behold," said Sirius, dramatically gesturing to the collection of jars and bottles, "my potion collection!"

James eyed the glutinous glop in the jars dubiously and asked, "And your plan is…what?"

Sirius' dramatic air deflated and said slowly, picking up a bottle with a liquid that looked like molten gold in it, "Um, hello?" He waved the bottle under James' nose. "Felix Felicis? Lucky potion? Ring any bells?"

James' eyes widened and he backed away. "Padfoot, how long have you had that?"

"Five years," Sirius said cheerfully, pouring some in a glass. "Nicked it off Slughorn in second year. Drink," he added, thrusting the glass under James' nose.

James backed away into the wall. "Nuh-uh," he said fervently. "I'm not trusting anything that's been under your bed for five years."

Sirius tried to force the liquid into James' mouth, but he had clamped his teeth shut. In an instant, Sirius pinched James' nose. James, unable to breathe, opened his mouth. Yes. That's right. He opened his mouth. Sirius promptly poured the potion down James' throat.

After a few seconds, Sirius asked James how he felt. "Completely fine, actually," James replied bemusedly. "See, Padfoot, the stupid potion didn't work anyway!"

Sirius slumped, disappointed. "Oh, well," he muttered stashing the bottle back into his collection.

-----

The next morning, James woke up to the snoring of the three other boys in the dorm. And he saw something – or rather, someone – that did not belong there.

What was Lily doing in the boys' dorm at six in the morning? She was leaning against his wardrobe. Before James could ask what she was doing there, she said softly, "I love you, James."

He couldn't believe his ears.

He got out of bed at once.

And did a clumsy victory dance.

Which knocked over several heavy items.

Which woke up the other boys.

Grinning, James walked towards Lily. He had waited seven years, after all.

-----

"Um, Padfoot?"

"Yes, Moony?"

"Why is James snogging his Nimbus?"

"Uh…"

"Moony?"

"Yes, Wormtail?"

"Why is James calling his broomstick 'Lily'?"

"Padfoot…"

"Yes, Moony?" asked Sirius innocently.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with whatever you dragged James up here for, would it?"

"Why, Moony," said Sirius in mock indignation. "I'm hurt! Would I do anything like that to our poor little Prongsie?"

"Yes," replied Remus simply. He sighed. "What did you give him?"

Sirius shifted uncomfortably. "Well…it wasn't supposed to react like that…and, well…"

"What did you give him, Padfoot?" repeated Remus wearily. He added almost to himself, "I thought I kept that stash of Firewhiskey hidden."

"Felix Felicis," said Sirius, then added under his breath, "more like Essence of Insanity if you ask me."

"What's Felix Felicis?" asked Peter blankly. They both ignored him.

Remus suddenly went pale. "Sirius," he asked urgently, "how old is that Felix Felicis?"

Sirius shrugged. "Five years or so," he said nonchalantly. "Should still be good, though."

Remus' face was horrified. "Sirius," he hissed, "do you know what this means? If Felix is allowed to sit for a long period of time, it makes the drinker have surreal and sometimes dangerous hallucinations!"

Sirius sobered slightly, but still protested, "Well, it should wear off in a few hours, and Prongs should be fine-"

He was cut off by and irate Remus who was panicking as he paced furiously around the room. "No, he won't be fine! If the drinker doesn't get the antidote in a week, then they'll DIE! They'll DIE, Padfoot!"

Sirius had gone very pale and even Peter, dim as he was, could tell by looking at the faces of his two panicked friends that something was very, very wrong.

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Dobby: Sorry for the drunkenness at the start, folks, I'm better now.

Winky: Humph. So you apologize to them.

Dobby: I just read over this chapter and realized that it was a product of my alcohol-induced mind and that it's very stoopid.

Winky: …No comment.

Dobby: So, it's up to you, folks! If you like the story, it's staying and I'll continue it…if not-

Winky: As it is a piece of drunken stoopidness-

Dobby: We will be deleting it. Your choice people.

Winky: -----sighs----- What Dobby means is: read and review, folks!

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	2. Chapter 2

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Dobby: Oh, yeah, in our last chapter, we mentioned a friend of ours.

Winky: Molly Roxhand, you know who you are!

Dobby: -----cough----- Ronsluva -----cough-----

Winky: Anyway, onto the next chapter!

Dobby: Read and review, folks!

**Disclaimer:**

Dobby: For the last time, we is not owning Hogwarts or Quidditch or anything! They all belong to J.K. Rowling.

Winky: And Miss Lily Evans belongs to Mr. James Potter sir.

Lily: What the -----BEEP-----!

James: You know you love me, Lil!

Lily: -----SLAP-----

James: Ow! Hey, what was that for?

Winky: Sorry about those guys, anyway, onto the next chapter!

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Chapter Two – Searching for the Cure 

As Lily walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, she looked around quickly for James. Seeing he was nowhere in sight, she heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe she would get through breakfast without him asking her out.

Just as she was about to sit down, the owls with the morning post came flying in. Lily closed her eyes and cringed as a tawny owl flew towards her. After a minute, when nothing had happened, she slowly opened one eye. Everything seemed normal. She opened the other eye and looked at what the owl brought her.

She sighed in relief again. It was only her subscription to the _Daily Prophet_. _'Hmmm…' _thought Lily. _'That's weird. James has sent me an awful singing Valentine regardless of whether it's February or not everyday for years now.'_

She shrugged and sat down and began to eat breakfast.

A few minutes later, James walked in holding his Nimbus One Thousand in an awkward sort of way. To her extreme astonishment, he completely ignored her and sat at the other end of the table.

As if this wasn't strange enough, he began talking to his broomstick while trying to feed it porridge. What was even stranger were the things he was saying to it, as if it were responding to him. He kept saying things like:

"Why thank you, Lily, I'm glad you like my hair this way!" and "What's that? Oh, I knew you were in denial all this time, honey!"

These remarks, added to the fact that they were made to his broomstick was attracting some very strange looks for James.

Just then, he exclaimed, with genuine happiness on his face, "Oh, I love you too, Lil!" He then leaned forward and…Lily blinked and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them, James was still…snogging his broomstick.

James was acting weird. Weirder than usual, that was. Which was VERY weird. At least in Lily's opinion.

Just as she thought things couldn't get any weirder, James looked straight at her and exclaimed, "So THAT'S where it went!"

'_It?'_ thought Lily. _'Since when did I become an 'it'?'_

James strode over to her and grabbed her arm. On reflex, Lily slapped him on the cheek.

Hard.

Then ran.

Fast.

Very fast.

-----

"Ow!" cried James, clutching his cheek.

That was odd. His broomstick had never whacked him over the face before. He watched it fly out of the Great Hall.

"Let me kiss it better, James," cooed Lily from beside him.

"Your wish is my command," replied James, grinning in spite of his stinging cheek.

-----

Lily tumbled through the corridors, her mind racing. Before breakfast that day, she had seen Remus and Sirius looking unusually grave and whispering to each other. Also, even Remus who was the most patient of the Marauders had snapped at Peter.

She had a sneaking suspicion that whatever the hell was going on with James had something to do with them.

Sure enough, after she burst into the common room, they were still there.

It was then that she knew the situation, whatever it was, was serious. Sirius seriously NEVER skipped meals. Seriously, he didn't. Skipping breakfast was a seriously un-Sirius thing for him to do. We're dead serious.

Anyway, as Lily went towards them, they immediately stopped talking and gave her strained smiles.

"Hi, Lils," said Sirius in a falsely cheery voice.

"How was breakfast?" added Remus, giving her a plastic smile.

"Stow it," said Lily impatiently. "What did you do to James? He's acting weird. Weirder than usual, I mean."

Sirius and Remus quickly exchanged looks and slumped.

"Lily, he…"

"Yes?" prompted Lily.

"He's hallucinating," said Remus in a rush. "He thinks you're his broomstick."

Lily burst out laughing. "Is that all? Well, at least he'll leave me alone until it wears off. You should've seen him. He was snogging his broomstick and saying things like: 'Oh, I love you too, Lily!' Honestly, you should've been there!"

To her mild surprise, neither of them laughed. They still had that grave expression on their faces.

"What?" she asked slowly, getting the sinking feeling that there was more to it.

Sirius said desperately, "Lily, if we don't find the antidote in a week, James'll…"

"…die," finished Remus in a whisper.

-----

Remus dimly registered that the blood drain out of Lily's face as soon as he had spoken.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea occurred to him. "Lily, you can help us! You're really good at Potions and researching and to be honest…well, Potions isn't my strongest subject. So d'you want to help?"

Without hesitating, Lily nodded.

Sirius looked at her incredulously. "What? But you hate James!"

Some colour had come back into her cheeks now; angry patches of red. "Sirius Black, I do not HATE James, I just happen to think he's a completely immature idiot!" She angrily tossed her long red hair out of her face. "Just because I happen to dislike him doesn't mean I want him dead! I'm helping, now let's go to the library!" She dragged a stunned Sirius and a worried-looking Remus to the library.

-----

"Nothing," said Lily in a hollow voice. "Nothing."

Remus stared miserably at the enormous pile of books they had been skimming through as though he hoped the cure would jump out at them.

Sirius looked as if he was struggling with a painful internal battle, then got up abruptly and started to pace. "This is all my fault," he declared, angry at himself. "If I hadn't given him that dodgy Felix…" he trailed off, and suddenly sank down into a chair as if his knees couldn't hold him.

"We're – we're like brothers," he whispered, staring at his hands. "And now…now he's going to – to die."

Lily forced him to look up at her and said in a hard, bitter voice, "Sirius, it wasn't your fault at all. It – it was mine. If I hadn't turned James down so many times, you would never've given him the potion and this would never've happened…"

Remus gave Sirius and Lily a tired smile: a smile that told them that the fault was nobody's and that there was still hope.

Just then, they heard a slight rustling behind them. Lily stiffened, her wand drawn out.

Madam Pince stepped out from behind the bookshelves and shooed them out of the library, not giving them a chance to take out any books.

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Severus Snape slunk quietly out of the library, smirking. So Potter was going to die, was he?

For the many times Potter had tormented him, Snape felt that he deserved the fate awaiting him.

Then a nagging thought occurred to him. He knew what could counter the addled Felix and which book it was in; it was a book that seemed unrelated to the topic and not many people would even think to look in it, but that Evans was one smart cookie for a Mudblood. What if it occurred to her? Severus Snape decided that he couldn't allow that at any cost.

For now, he had some work to do.

-----

Though it was a Hogmeade Saturday, Lily, Sirius and Remus had spent most of the day in the library looking for a cure without results. They had sent Peter to Hogsmeade to keep an eye on James and 'Lily' aka the Nimbus One Thousand.

Suddenly, Remus had a brainwave. "Hey, what if it's in our Potions textbook? I know there was a recipe for Felix in there!" They eagerly got out their books and opened it to the correct page.

Lily began to read aloud. "'_Felix Felicis is one of many potions extremely popular among all witches and wizards. It was first discovered in 1892 when Madam Matilda Cragg, while trying to find the Elixir of Life, produced a potion of similar colour and texture. She was ecstatic about her discovery and wrote down her findings. Her diary now resides in the Gringotts vault of a private collector._

"'_However, once she had sampled some of her invention, it became clear that it was not, in fact, the legendary Elixir of Life, but a potion that brought extremely good luck to the drinker. Because the potion brought luck, Madam Cragg aptly named it 'Felix Felicis' which means 'lucky' in Latin. Depending on the amount taken, the newly christened Felix Felicis brought luck to the drinker for a set period of time.'" _Lily's eyes skimmed over the rest of the page; there was a list of ingredients and the method for making the potion.

Finally, her eyes stopped at the bottom of the page and what little colour was left in her face drained out of it.

"What is it?" asked Remus worriedly.

"'WARNING: When taken regularly or in large quantities, Felix Felicis is highly toxic and can cause hallucinations and dizziness. Victim can die in a week to two weeks time.'"

"Keep going," urged Sirius anxiously.

"That's it," said Lily in a strangled voice. "There isn't anything else. No counter curse, no antidote, nothing. It doesn't even say if there is one."

After fruitlessly looking through some more books that Remus had borrowed earlier, they decided to call it a night and sleep on the problem.

-----

Severus Snape wondered where he could keep the object. It had to be somewhere the Marauders or Evans would stumble upon it before anyone else.

Deciding that the best way to avoid suspicion was to plant it in Gryffindor Tower itself, he had hidden behind a rusty suit of armour until he heard some first years say the password and scramble in.

Much later around midnight, when the ghosts of Hogwarts were gliding around and Filch was wheezing and spluttering up and the down the castle looking for mischief makers, Snape crept to the portrait hole, pulled up the hood to the Gryffindor robes he had borrowed from the laundry, and whispered the password to an annoyed Fat Lady who called out after him, "Next time I'll stay shut, young man, that'll teach you to wake me up in the middle of the night!"

He crept towards the girls' dormitories, and so as not to set off the klaxon-like wailing and the stone helter-skelter that appeared, he walked slowly like a crab, placing his feet in the gaps between the banisters.

He crept into the seventh year girls' dorms and deposited his item where he was sure Lily Evans would find it.

As he was about to creep out, he heard a mumble from behind him. Freezing and pulling out his wand instinctively, Snape turned and saw Lily Evans standing behind him.

He was about to mutter a Stunning Spell and get the hell out of there and fast when she said, "Oh, no, Molly, James is so childish, I don't like him at all!"

He kept staring, bewildered, as she continued, "What? You think Sirius' dark hair will set off your blonde? What? James' hair will not suit mine at all! No, it won't! I do not like him!"

"Do too!" squeaked Snape in a high voice.

"I so do not!" said Lily, outraged.

Thinking he had heard enough, and smirking slightly, Severus Snape crept back the way he came.

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Dobby: How was that?

Winky: I think it was stoopid.

Dobby: Of course it was stoopid, it's L/J!

Winky: Yeah, well, here's a note specially for brunettesrule and softlove91:

Dobby: They're the Dobby/Winky shippers! Anyway, Winky and I are just FRIENDS!

Winky: Yeah, so read and review, folks!

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three – The Fake Horcruxes 

On a fine, clear Sunday morning, Lily Evans woke as suddenly as if somebody had yelled in her ear.

She had woken up from a vivid dream – _'Nightmare, more like,' _thought Lily wryly – in which Molly Roxhand, the Marauder fangirl, had tried to convince her that she and James were made for each other and that they should get together. She had insisted more emphatically than strictly necessary that she did _not _like James and that they would _not _make a perfect couple.

Now Lily was awake, but feeling too lethargic to get out of bed or even to sit up. She tried futilely to go back to sleep, but after a few minutes wondered how she could have slept through the enormous racket the birds were putting up, twittering outside.

Yawning, she sat up; even as she did so, a tattered, dog-eared book fell in front of her face, missing her nose by an inch. She stifled the scream that nearly made its way out of her throat; she did not want to wake up anyone else.

She prodded the book cautiously with her wand, but nothing happened. It seemed to be safe.

She picked it up hesitantly, but nothing happened. She realised that she was holding a tattered copy of _'Advanced Potion Making.'_

Flipping the cover, she realized that there was no name. Lily noticed that someone had scribbled all over the book, making corrections here and there.

Eyes lighting up with curiosity, she sat down and began to read.

-----

All through that day, Lily was flipping through the tattered textbook, flipping it open at random places and reading the interesting things the owner had scribbled in. There were corrections and shortcuts to potions, and some jinxes and spells as well.

Sirius and Remus were still trying to research in vain for a cure for James who was still blissfully wandering around the school with 'Lily'.

The fact that James was wandering around the school randomly talking to and snogging his broomstick while being constantly tailed by Peter – who was following James on Remus' orders and not being particularly subtle about it – was generating some odd rumours.

The most reasonable and logical ones were that Peter was gay and in love with James – and jealous of the broomstick – and that James was a broom pervert.

Anyway, Sirius was looking seriously serious as he very seriously searched for an antidote to the seriously mucked up Felix. In fact he was so serious (of course he's serious, he's Sirius!) that it was seriously-

"Levicorpus!"

AAAHHHH!

Lily smiled in satisfaction at the two house elves suspended in the air.

"Hey!" squeaked Dobby.

"Put us down!" added Winky.

"Only if you quit it with those 'Sirius' cracks. They're driving me crazy!"

"Fine," said Dobby seriously. "We seriously will not make serious 'Sirius' cracks anymore, seriously!"

Winky opened her mouth to say, "Siriusly, we won't!", but before she could, Lily raised her wand threateningly and she shut her mouth.

"Fine, can you let us down now?" begged Winky, giving Lily her best house-elf eyes.

Lily melted. "Okay," she said reluctantly. "Liberacorpus!"

Both house elves fell with a thud and went off to the kitchens for some butterbeer.

Remus and Sirius had watched the whole exchange in mild surprise.

"Who were they?" asked Remus curiously.

"The authors," said Lily off-handedly.

"And where'd you get that awesome spell from?" enquired Sirius.

"This book," said Lily, showing them the tattered copy of _'Advanced Potion Making'._

Remus took the book and flipped through it. "Wow, the owner must be really good at potions," he said, looking at the dog-eared pages absent-mindedly. "They've written in heaps of shortcuts and antidotes and stuff that wasn't there."

Sirius shrugged. He wasn't really interested in some potions prodigy when James' life was in danger. Suddenly, one could almost see the light bulb above his head. "Moony?" he asked slowly.

"Hmm?"

"Did you say there were antidotes that weren't in the book before?"

"Yeah, why-" Remus gasped in understanding. He quickly flipped to the page on Felix Felicis. Lily and Sirius peered excitedly over his shoulder.

"Yes!" Remus pointed triumphantly at the page where an antidote for Felix had been scribbled, judging from the ink which wasn't faded like the rest of the book, very recently.

They both pored over the antidote scribbled in the book; it was very complicated. Though there were some ingredients like unicorn tail hairs and beetle eyes and knotgrass that they had in their potions kits, there were many ingredients required like Acromantula venom and dragon blood which were not available to students and were only found in the Potions Master's private stores.

"It has to be brewed and then left to mature for three days before it'll work," said Lily, feeling panicked. "That means we only have-"

"-two more days to get the ingredients together," finished Remus.

"How on earth are we going to get those ingredients?" asked Sirius, feeling dejected at this point. "Slughorn will never part with rare ingredients like those!"

"Unless…" Remus and Sirius both turned to look at Lily.

Seeing where this was going, Lily shook her head and said stubbornly, "Oh, no. No, no, no. No way."

-----

"Hello, Professor Slughorn," said Lily brightly, beaming at the teacher who had looked rather surprised to see her.

"Miss Evans! What a pleasant surprise!" exclaimed the round Potions professor, his grey walrus-like moustache quivering as he beamed back.

"I came here to give you this, Professor," said Lily holding out a box of what she knew was Slughorn's favourite crystallized pineapple.

"Why, Lily! Thank you very much! I hope you're not bribing me into helping you with your essay!" Slughorn winked at her, and took the box. "Why don't you come in, Lily?"

Lily stepped into the Potions Master's office. The place where the potions ingredients were stored. There was a very comfortable-looking velvet-covered armchair behind the desk and many boxes of chocolates and of course, crystallized pineapple.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"I was wondering…could you tell me about-"

The blood drained out of Slughorn's face and he barked entirely too quickly to be plausible, "I don't know anything about Horcruxes; no respectable wizard would and I am no different!"

Lily, feeling puzzled and bewildered asked, "Why would I ask you about Horcruxes, Professor? Anyway, I came to ask you if you could help me understand how Acromantula venom and dragon blood work together to make such powerful healing potions. I know we've covered it in class, but I wanted to get a more in-depth study on them, to help with the N.E.W.Ts. I want to be a Healer, you see," finished Lily earnestly, lying through her teeth. She actually wanted to be an Auror and had felt that way ever since Voldemort had killed her parents.

Slughorn ate it all up though. The colour soon came back to his face once he realized Lily was not after knowledge of Horcruxes and just wanted some help with Potions theory.

"Well, it's really quite complex, you see…"

-----

"Got them!" cried Lily, triumphantly brandishing the most difficult potion ingredients.

"Well done, Lily!" said Remus, relieved that it had worked. "But I'd really like to know-"

"How the hell did you get Slughorn to part with his precious potion ingredients?" asked Sirius incredulously.

"Simple," replied Lily. She had intended to coax the ingredients off Slughorn by saying a load of waffle about how she would really like to explore the theory he was telling her by actually experimenting with some venom and blood.

Instead, a far more intriguing idea had occurred to her after she saw how scared Professor Slughorn seemed of Horcruxes. Lily herself knew what Horcruxes were due to taking extra-advanced courses in Defence Against the Dark Arts (her best subject). So she had just…

"…told Slughorn that his Acromantula venom and his dragon blood were the last remaining Horcruxes of the Dark wizard Grindelwald. Of course, he was terrified and practically shoved them in my arms when I said I had a friend whose dad was an Auror who could destroy them," finished Lily modestly.

Remus and Sirius smiled appreciatively and Remus clapped his hands and Sirius cracked his knuckles. "Well then, time to get to work."

-----

Meanwhile, our clueless hero James was wandering around Hogwarts with his girlfriend, Lily. Or so he thought.

James was annoyed. Very annoyed. Very, very annoyed.

The reason why he was annoyed? Because Peter kept following him around even after he had told him to get lost and give him and Lily some time alone.

James needed to lose him. And fast. If only he had his Nimbus with him. James sighed. It had whacked him around the face the other day and he hadn't seen it since. James ran to the school's broom shed. Yes, for _Quidditch _brooms. No, _not_ to perve on them.

He grabbed Lily's hand and dragged her along as well. She didn't say anything, which seemed very unlike her. She had been very quiet lately. She seemed to have become even skinnier as well. And she had developed a tan. James didn't know how since it was the middle of winter and she was a redhead. Redheads just _didn't_ tan. Oh, well. Time to worry about that later. Time for Operation Lose the Rat.

-----

"Tell me again why we are brewing this potion in broad daylight in the middle of a girls' lavatory," said Sirius sceptically. "Don't you think we'll get caught?"

"No," scoffed Lily, lighting a special, waterproof fire under a toilet seat in a cubicle. "No one _ever _comes in here because of Moaning Myrtle."

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" asked Remus curiously.

(A/N: So as not to repeat the whole CoS movie scenario…) "She's the ghost that haunts this bathroom. I don't ever come in here if I can help it. It's awful trying to go to the loo with her wailing at you."

Sirius and Remus nodded, looking slightly confused, but they were soon cutting up knotgrass and measuring out dragon blood as per Lily's instructions, until…

"BLOODY HELL!"

-----

Dobby: MUAHAHAHAHAAA, cliffie!

Winky: We is loving ending on "BLOODY HELL!"

Dobby: Cookies and firewhiskey to those who guess correctly…

Winky: The possibilities are even more endless this time around!

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four – V-Day 

James Potter was feeling very, very happy. For he had found his Nimbus One Thousand at last. It was, for some odd reason, in a girls' bathroom. Well, no matter. He could simply fly in the window and take it without anyone noticing.

Well, except for Sirius and Remus…hey, what were they doing in a girls' toilet anyway? They seemed to be making a potion. Why? There was no homework. At least, not yet. Maybe it was for a prank or something. Shrugging it off, James enchanted the window so that he could fly through and grab his broomstick.

"BLOODY HELL!" yelled Sirius, standing protectively in front of whatever potion he and Remus were making. This must have been a really good prank for him to do that.

James grabbed his broomstick, without getting whacked this time because the 'broomstick' was too shocked to do anything. He hung on to it tightly and flew back the way he came.

-----

Lily was numb with shock and terror. James Potter had flown in through a window in the girls' bathroom and had dragged her onto his broom and flown out the window. He thought she was his Nimbus One Thousand, but still.

She was numb with shock because she hadn't been expecting it and numb with terror because she had suffered from an overpowering case of vertigo ever since she had fallen out of a tree and broken her leg as a small child.

That was the only reason she let James Potter hang on tightly to her the way he was. The only reason.

-----

"Um…Moony?"

"Yes, Padfoot?"

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know, I guess we- AAARRGHHH!

-----

Thankfully, the terrifying flight ended and Lily dismounted shakily. James still had an iron grip on her arm because he probably thought she was going to fly away or whack him or something.

There was no point trying to escape. Meanwhile, the Nimbus One Thousand was held in James' other hand and he was staring at it the whole time. He was staring in a weird way as well.

What was that all about? Was the addled Felix wearing off?

They didn't have long then.

-----

"Noooo…not the potion!"

"Ah, shut up."

"Anything but the potion!" 

"I was _not_ scared."

"You were too!"

"Was not!"

"Moony wa-as sca-ared, Moony wa-as sca-ared!"

"Will you stop that? I was merely…_startled_."

"You we-ere sca-ared!"

"How you managed to sneak up on me and nearly strangle me and yell in supposedly ghostly voices that you were going to ruin the potion is beyond me. All I know is that you did _not, _I repeat _did not, _under any circumstances _scare _me. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, Moony."

"Moony?"

"Yes, Padfoot?"

"You we-ere sca-ared!"

-----

Peter was having a really bad day. A _really_ bad one.

He had to follow James and the Nimbus everywhere because Remus said so. He had not had cheese in hours and was having trouble keeping up with James and not losing him in crowds.

Just then, James flew past Peter on a school broom.

Uh-oh.

Peter was having a really, _really_ bad day.

-----

James had never before noticed that the twigs at the back of his broomstick were a reddish colour. Strange.

His Nimbus was also a paler brown than he remembered and at the back of it, near the reddish twigs, there were darker spots in the wood, almost like freckles. Two greenish knots in the wood seemed to look at him reproachfully.

James shook his head to clear it. It was a _broom_, for God's sake! Brooms did not have eyes or freckles and they certainly didn't glare reproachfully.

It was still glaring at him and was squirming a little. James rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

He was going crazy.

-----

Lily had thought of a way to escape.

Right now, she was lying on top of James' suitcase and not moving.

She was waiting until James left before she made her escape. Right now James was-

Uh-oh. Not that. No. _Please _no.

Why did he have to change _now?_

Lily shut her eyes tightly, a second after the image of James Potter wearing nothing but his boxers was burned into her brain forever.

-----

Escaped. Finally.

After lying there mortified for three more minutes, she finally heard footsteps leaving the room and hurriedly departed to the first class of the day, Charms.

-----

"As you are probably aware," Professor Flitwick said enthusiastically, "teaching love charms is frowned upon at Hogwarts, and the use of them is strictly forbidden on school grounds." Here the relative silence was split by a peal of laughter from Molly Roxhand's friend, and a loud, "_Stop _it!" from Molly, who was looking very guilty.

"However," Professor Flitwick continued merrily, "in light of Valentine's Day, and as we are moving on to the section in your books that deals with Emotional Charm Adaptation Theorems–" Lily nodded and flipped her book open to the proper page, "–I will be teaching you an ancient love spell this afternoon."

His speech was interrupted by a series of comments.

"Great," muttered Remus.

"You're kidding?" suggested Sirius hopefully.

"Which one?" questioned Lily, entirely unruffled, taking out a quill as though this were a perfectly acceptable way to run a lesson – which, in Remus' opinion, it was not.

"The spell," Flitwick went on, smiling around at them as though entertained by their extreme embarrassment with the class, "is _Amora Primus_. And although none of you will have heard of it–"

But Lily's hand had shot into the air. Sirius edged his chair away from her slightly and gave Remus a look of apprehension, though Remus was unsurprised. He couldn't remember a time when Lily hadn't known a Charms lesson beforehand, no matter what it was.

"Very well, Miss Evans," Professor Flitwick conceded, "What type of spell is it?"

"Well, roughly translated it means 'Prime Love', although it's actually one of the four basic kissing spells–" Sirius pushed his chair back another inch and eyed her warily while Molly burst into a fit of giggles at this description. Sirius backtracked and moved his chair away from Molly and Lily looked over her shoulder and made a disdainful sound. "_Any_way," she continued, "it is the strongest of the four, and only invoked under circumstances of exceptional rarity." Lily finished her definition, sounding as though she'd read it straight from a textbook.

Professor Flitwick looked highly impressed. "That's quite right. I've never had a student – that is, I wouldn't have expected – well done, Miss Evans!"

"Professor Flitwick?" ventured an apprehensive voice. Frank Longbottom had raised a tentative hand, looking very nervous. "You're not going to-to make us – practice this-this _kissing _spell – on each other?"

Every head in the class snapped around to the Professor in half-horrified, half-hopeful agony – except Lily's. She tutted at all of them.

"You _can't_ practice it. Not _ever_," she informed them, in her maddeningly superior tone. "Because it only works once."

"Saved!" sniggered Sirius, high-fiving Frank, who looked exhausted with relief. Molly Roxhand and her friends sat back, slightly disappointed. Remus, however, found himself somehow interested in the lesson, now that Lily had clarified that it wouldn't be participatory.

"Only once?" he asked, curious. "You can't practice it? Why not?"

Professor Flitwick smiled mysteriously. "It is extremely powerful magic – an ancient spell – last used successfully in the thirteenth century, I think.

"_Amora Primus_…and you'll want to take notes. Just because you can't use this spell doesn't mean it won't turn up on your NEWT's." There was a rustle of parchment and quills as everyone started to take notes. Professor Flitwick moved to sit on his desk, his short legs sticking straight off the edge. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation and when they were all settled again, he spoke as if telling a story.

"As you might imagine, many love spells are used to create what is not there – to awaken feelings that may never have arisen naturally. Not so _Amora Primus_. It only reveals what already exists."

"What – like a truth serum?" Sirius ventured, glancing edgily at Molly as if expecting her to try one on him at any second.

"In a way," replied Professor Flitwick, "for there is no way to fool _Amora Primus_. It either succeeds or fails – and the only opportunity to test its power comes at the moment of a lover's near death."

Molly 'oooh'ed instinctively at this and Professor Flitwick fixed his twinkling eyes on her. "Imagine, Miss Roxhand," he began, as her friend pressed her mouth shut painfully to keep herself from giggling, "that your true love lies unconscious and perishing – that help is too far off and the man will die in moments, before your very eyes. What would you do?"

Molly looked raptly at her fingers. "I-I'd…"

"Disapparate, fetch a Healer and get back there!" hollered Sirius promptly. "Doesn't take a love charm for that."

"Perhaps not," agreed the Professor. "But, Mr. Black, what if you were on grounds such as Hogwarts – where one cannot Apparate or Disapparate?"

Sirius shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "Dunno…"

"Summon Madam Pomfrey on the spot," said Remus, grinning. "Accio!" he joked. The whole class chuckled at the idea of their school nurse soaring through the air at his command.

"And if you didn't have your wand, Mr. Lupin?" enquired Professor Flitwick, looking him straight in the eye. "If you were caught unawares and your one true love lay dying – then what would you do?"

Remus didn't say anything for a moment, and his ears turned unnaturally pink. "Well, I don't see as I'll ever have to worry about it," he finally said, defiantly.

Lily snorted. She tried not to laugh.

But Professor Flitwick had shifted his gaze to her, and finished his interrogation of the class by asking, "Miss Evans…what would _you_ do, in such a circumstance?"

"Me?" replied Lily nervously. "Oh, well, I guess if I were absolutely certain that the person was my one true love, and he were only a moment from death, then I'd place my wand hand over his heart, invoke _Amora Primus_, and kiss him." She was bright red by the end of this speech, remembering a certain someone who was close to death.

"And that would bring him back to life? True love's kiss?" asked Molly breathlessly from the back.

"In the best-case scenario, yes it would…" said Professor Flitwick, smiling a second time. "But this is where it gets a bit sticky. You see, there are very strict boundaries around this particular spell. Firstly, as Miss Evans has told us, it only works one time. Once you have said _Amora Primus_ with magic behind it, it will lose its power, and you can never use it again. So it's crucial that you choose the moment wisely – this is one reason it's hardly ever performed."

"Choose…moment…wisely…" Frank muttered, copying this down as quickly as he could. Sirius grinned to himself, imagining Frank in such a situation.

"Also – and this is of the utmost importance–" Professor Flitwick looked around at them gravely. "You must be absolutely certain that the person who lies dying is your one true love – your perfect match. If he or she is not, the spell will go into reverse."

"Reverse?" Remus asked, narrowing his eyes. "You mean it'd kill her?"

Flitwick nodded – the Marauder fanclub gasped. "Instead of restoring the person," the professor concluded, "he or she would be killed immediately. This is the other reason it's almost never used. It's difficult to be completely sure of one's heart, and a sensible person would never risk murdering a sweetheart by accident. I trust you are all–" he said, with a grin, "–sensible people?"

The class nodded fervently, Sirius looking frightened. Remus didn't blame him – he wasn't entirely sure that Molly was sensible. Charms class came to an end with a burst of chattering and an assignment from Professor Flitwick as he dismissed them from his room.

Lily sighed in relief. Though she knew the lesson and the spell, it didn't make her any more comfortable with it.

She wondered where James was. He had not been there for the lesson.

-----

Dobby: Well…?

Winky: Well, if it's the same as the copy you emailed me, then I'm worried for our readers.

Dobby: It's a read-at-your-own-risk sort of chapter, I guess…

Winky: And a read-and-not-review-at-your-own-risk as well…

Dobby: WINKY! Don't threaten the hypothetical reviewers! Bribe them! BRIBE, NOT THREATEN!

Winky: Okay, fine, hugs to those review!

Dobby: Finally!

-----


	5. Chapter 5

-----

Chapter Five – Antidote…Or Not? 

James was not feeling very well. He had been about to go to Charms class on Monday but as he had walked past the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey had seized him and made him lie down.

Despite his protests that he was fine, she had kept him there. He mostly slept because he had lately been feeling very tired and was burning with fever.

He had been in the hospital wing for three days now. It was Thursday.

-----

Madam Pomfrey was worried. Very worried. One of her patients, James Potter, had gone into a coma. Under very strange circumstances.

He had been fine the day before, burning with fever, but fine apart from that. His symptoms suggested delayed poisoning, but she didn't know what to do.

She had been trying all of her healing potions and charms, but they were so far, ineffective. She had to hurry. James Potter did not have much time left.

-----

James did not see the quiet visitor who sneaked into the hospital wing at night because his deep sleep of the previous few days had slipped into a coma.

At the sight of him lying there, deathly pale and unmoving, the visitor snickered and if they were not wearing a hood that covered their face, you would have been able to see their unmistakable expression of glee.

"The process is nearly complete," Snape whispered, gazing at the barely perceptible vibration of the heart monitor that was charmed to follow James' heartbeat. "Soon, Potter," he said, with a sneer twisted with hate. "Soon."

Leaving a note on the James' pillow, beside his head, Snape left.

-----

Lily Evans was jubilant. The antidote was finally ready! And not a moment too soon either. It was Friday morning, and they had to cure James before night fell.

"Are you sure this is right?" asked Sirius, staring dubiously at the lumpy brown glop in the cauldron.

Holding his nose, Remus peered closer. "It seems right," he said finally. "But what can we do if it isn't? We have to give it a shot."

"It's our only hope of curing James," added Lily, praying fervently that it was the right antidote.

They set off towards the hospital wing, carrying a corked bottle of the antidote.

-----

"Is she still there?" hissed Lily, cramped in her position.

"Yes," said Remus, sounding annoyed. Lily thought he glared at Sirius, but it was too dark to tell.

"Sirius, this is all your fault," groaned Lily, as a mop poked her in the back.

Sirius bristled, or at least, Lily thought he did. "Well, excuse me," said Sirius grumpily. "I just said the coast was clear in the hospital wing; how was I to know that Madam Pomfrey would come out of her office a second after we came in?"

Remus shifted, and a bucket somehow fell on his head. Removing it wearily, he said, "Yes, and now we're stuck in the hospital wing broom closet."

"Why do hospital wings even have broom closets?" pondered Lily.

"Because they need to sweep the floor," replied Sirius in a _'duh' _voice.

"Yes," agreed Lily, "but it isn't very hygienic, is it? Dust could be raised and it isn't practical when there are sick patients, right?"

"Yeah, but if they didn't sweep the hospital wing, it would get dirty and fill with plague-carrying rats who would infect all the patients and make them sicker than they are and eventually rats will rule Hogwarts," countered Sirius. "So the hospital wing broom closet is vital for the survival of the school and in the long run, the human race as well." He nodded, looking proud of himself.

Lily looked disgruntled at this dead end in the debate. Remus looked incredulous.

"You're arguing about the importance of hospital wing broom closets when we have an antidote to deliver?"

"Just passing the time," mumbled Sirius, looking at what he could see of his feet.

-----

"Will she _ever_ leave?" groaned a _very_ stiff Lily three hours later. "We've been in here forever!"

Sirius was practically hyperventilating. "Oh my God, this closet is getting smaller by the second! We're gonna die! We're gonna _die_! Dear Merlin, I can't breathe! There is no oxygen in here! We're gonna DIE!"

Remus slapped Sirius across the face. _"Calm down_," he said sternly and Sirius turned down the volume of his whimpering.

"Guys, I think…she's leaving!" cried Lily excitedly. Sirius and Remus crowded around her, trying to get a look through the crack in the door.

In a rush, they tumbled out of the closet, Lily vowing that she would never again sit in a broom closet for three hours with Sirius and Remus. She quickly spelled Madam Pomfrey's door shut.

Rolling up her sleeves, Lily said grimly, almost to herself, "Time to get to work."

-----

"Wasn't my fault."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was _too!"_

"Was _not!"_

"You just _had_ to go and pull out the cork, didn't you?"

"I was just trying to help!"

"Because of your _help_, we now have the antidote all over our clothing!"

Lily, Sirius and Remus were covered in brown gunk. Hair, clothes, faces, everything.

"How much of that antidote does James need again?" asked Remus worriedly, spitting out some as he spoke.

"Only a drop," Lily replied, wiping off some of the antidote from her mouth. Looking at it in distaste, she amended, "Only a lump."

Just then, Sirius coughed out a large amount of the lumpy brown glop. He pointed excitedly at it where it lay on the floor. "Look, Moony, my spit is brown and lumpy!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Padfoot," he said without any effort, for indeed, his mouth was so used to forming the position to say it that it was now default.

"Back to business," said Lily, trying to get back on track, "we must scrape off a bit of this antidote and somehow make James swallow it. With me?"

They nodded and commenced to task.

-----

"Something should be happening…right about…_now," _Lily said, reading the instructions in the tattered book which belonged to a 'Half-Blood Prince'.

Just then, a piece of paper beside James' head glowed blue. Lily picked it up and Sirius and Remus read it over her shoulder in disbelief.

**Evans-**

_**My potions book had no doubt informed you that a reaction will take place now. But I am afraid I cannot let that happen.**_

**_After all Potter has put me through, I feel I am justified if I say that I don't want him around anymore. I am not foolish enough to attempt to murder him but when an opportunity to prevent his recovery comes by, I can't let it slip past._**

**If I am correct, Potter was given the addled Felix Felicis on a Friday night, so he will perish on a Friday night. This Friday night, to be precise.**   
**There is one thing that might have saved him, and that thing is not a potion, it is a charm. Though it is doubtful that you, Evans, are Potter's- well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? Unlikely though it was that you would find this spell and even more unlikely that you would consent to carry it out when you found out what it involves, you are intelligent for a Mudblood, Evans, and I couldn't have you finding the cure.**

**You may recall a potions book nearly decapitating you one Sunday morning. That was the potions book I had planted in your dormitory to lead you on a false trail. A wild Hippogriff chase, if you like. Away from the rightful cure.**

**Did you look carefully at the ingredients in the so-called cure? I doubt it. As you should know if you are at NEWT standard, the combination of Acromantula venom and dragon blood makes a powerful healer. However, when combined with unicorn tail hairs, a rather complex reaction takes place which changes the purpose of the potion completely.**

**Guess what, Evans? Your precious antidote is a Hiccuping Potion.**

As if on cue, Lily, Sirius and Remus began hiccuping violently. James' breathing was shallower than it was before.

**So I guess you have been…how do they say it?…ah, yes, punked. James Potter is as good as dead. Unless you can find the other cure, Evans. Good luck with that. Not.**

**-The Half-Blood Prince**

**PS. Did I mention that I win?**

**PPS. Na-aa-na-na-na-aa-na!**

**PPPS. Haha, you suck.**

-----

"This is not good."

"You're telling me."

"What the bloody hell are we supposed to do now?"

"Oh my God, you said 'bloody hell'? Three cheers for Lily Evans!"

"Shut up, you great idiot! What the bloody hell do we do now?" repeated Lily, feeling panicked.

"I don't know, but we don't have much time left," said Remus agitatedly checking his watch.

"How much exactly, Moony?" asked Sirius.

"Ten minutes," he whispered, sinking into a chair.

"Argh! What do we do? What do we do? What do we do? What do we-?" Sirius was running around the room like a headless chicken, sounding as if he was saying the same recording again and again.

Just then, they heard a muffled pounding sound coming from Madam Pomfrey's office. "Let me out!"

"Uh-oh," muttered Lily. "Gotta hurry. Think, Lily."

**There is one thing that might have saved him, and that thing is not a potion, it is a charm.**

A charm?

Charms were her area of expertise in magic. Had they covered any healing charms in Charms class?

**Though it is doubtful that you, Evans, are Potter's- well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?**

Potter's what, exactly?

…**even more unlikely that you would consent to carry it out when you found out what it involves…**

What wouldn't I consent to carry out? It's just a bit of magic, right? I mean, it's not like I want James dead, or anything…

Wait a minute…healing charms…on Monday…consent to carry out…think I hate…James …**you, Evans, are Potter's-**

That couldn't be it, could it?

"…certain that he were my one true love, and he were only a moment from death, then I'd place my wand hand over his heart, invoke Amora Primus, and kiss him…"

What are the odds of that? It hasn't been done successfully since the thirteenth century! How am I to know if it will work now?

Looking at her watch, Lily saw that she had two minutes. She would just have to chance it. There was no harm in trying.

Lily took a deep breath and placed her right hand over James' heart. It was barely beating at all. She only vaguely registered the stunned looks on Sirius and Remus' faces when she said:

"Amora Primus."

-----

"Miss Evans!"

Lily jumped away from James and blushed bright red as she saw the hanging jaws of Sirius and Remus and also the stunned look on Madam Pomfrey's face.

"Miss Evans," spluttered Madam Pomfrey, finding her voice again, "I am afraid I cannot have you visiting the patients, much less…" she trailed off.

"In any case, Mr Potter is in a coma and you might have-"

There was a barely heard blip from behind Lily.

All four of them spun around in delighted disbelief as the heartbeat monitor showed a steady, healthy heartbeat.

"Miss Evans, I personally don't believe in fairytales like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White," whispered Madam Pomfrey, "but well done! He is still very ill, but we hope for a recovery. He should be up and running by tomorrow morning, so don't abandon hope."

She shooed Lily, Sirius and Remus out of the hospital wing.

Lily didn't even have time to come to terms with that fact that James Potter was her- that she and James were…well.

-----

It was Saturday night and there was still no sign of James. Lily was worried sick, but whenever she saw Sirius and Remus, they looked like they were about to laugh. Lily did not see what was so funny.

She had tried five times to visit James but Madam Pomfrey would not let her in, and her voice sounded haggard extremely worried. This did not make Lily feel any better.

After lunch had ended earlier, she had stormed up to the Gryffindor common room and heard Sirius and Remus muttering something like 'she's a great actress' when they saw her and fell silent, looking like they were holding in laughter again.

Now, as she sat at dinner, Lily had almost abandoned all hope, not forgetting the way Madam Pomfrey's voice had sounded when she had tried to see James in the hospital wing.

-----

Sunday morning. If Lily was worried before, now she felt like there were Hippogriffs bouncing around in her stomach.

Crash.

Lily looked at the jug of pumpkin juice in front of her. She also looked at the pumpkin-juice drenched owl in front of her.

Strange, but the owl wasn't carrying a letter or a package.

Stranger, it was wearing black sunglasses.

Strangest of all, it opened its beak and began to sing in a deep voice she recognized as James'…

'_Her eyes are as green_

_As an emerald queen's,_

_Her hair is as red as a fire,_

_I wish she were mine, she's really divine,_

_This girl that I desire.'_

A joyful laugh burst out of Lily's mouth as she turned towards the doors of the Great Hall. There was only one person, one person in all of Hogwarts who would send her an awful singing Valentine.

And it was towards this person that Lily ran.

-----

Winky: Like it?

Dobby: Almost finished, just the epilogue to go, now!

Winky: Please, please, PLEASE review!

Dobby: Praise, constructive criticism, corrections, even flames are accepted!

Winky: Just…review, okay?

-----


	6. Chapter 6

-----

Epilogue 

James stared at the redhead sitting beside him, the recently-christened Lily Potter. He was supposed to be drawing up that map for the Order, but the firelight did the most interesting things to Lily's hair…

He had been captivated by Lily ever since his first year when he had started Hogwarts. Of course, when you were eleven, you just didn't talk to members of the opposite sex. So he had watched her from afar.

In second year, they had matured somewhat and the boys and girls talked to each other to ask, "Can you please pass the potatoes?" This was a huge leap in maturity for them.

In third year, James had gotten the Marauders to play many pranks on Lily. It was his way of showing affection, but Lily didn't understand. She avoided him and didn't speak to him when he spoke to her.

It was fourth year that the girls became obsessed with the boys and vice-versa. Everyone started 'going out' with each other, but all they did was sit with their 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' at lunch and in classes. James had asked out Lily many times in that year, and had always gotten the same answer. "NO! Leave me ALONE, Potter!"

Apart from Lily, James had never hurt for female attention and he was considered hot because he was a Marauder and had the whole 'tall, dark and mysterious' cliché working for him. This attention caused James' head to swell to enormous proportions. He had dated many girls that year, while at the same time proclaimed his 'love' for Lily.

Sixth year had been a disaster. Though James had stopped dating random girls and had focussed his full attention on Lily, he was still a completely immature prat. Though he had been sixteen, he had courted Lily like an eleven-year-old.

Seventh year was the golden year. The year Lily had finally become his girlfriend. Funny, he hadn't even tried very hard. He had been in a coma for their first kiss. Ah well. There had been many more to come.

Suddenly, Lily looked over at him and quirked an amused eyebrow. So she had noticed his staring.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, her green eyes dancing, because she knew the answer.

"You," blurted James truthfully, feeling his ears heat. It was ridiculous that Lily could still make him blush when he was an adult.

"Oh really?" she moved closer to him and leant against him and his arm was already curled around her shoulders before he even knew it had moved. "I think you should take a break from work tonight."

"I think so too," said James, smiling contentedly as he breathed in the scent of strawberries emanating from Lily's soft red hair.

For five minutes, they stayed that way, in silence, committing the memory of the firelight washing over them as they sat together in their hearts forever.

"James?" Lily asked suddenly. "Do you remember how we got together?"

James looked at her and smirked. "Though I was hallucinating and unconscious for most – if not all – of it, I definitely remember."

Lily blushed. James grinned delightedly. He loved it when Lily blushed. It made her nose look redder and her freckles showed up more.

She slapped him upside the head. "Stop being an idiot!" she chided, still smiling. "Do you ever wonder what would've happened if Sirius hadn't given you that messed up Felix?"

James smiled. "Lily darling, I would've won you over with or without any Felix Felicis! Why, how could you not fall for my looks and my charm and-"

Lily slapped him upside the head again. "James," she said sweetly, "you are still a conceited git after all these years, you know that? And I still love you." She kissed him softly.

Once they had broken apart, James gave her a lopsided grin. "When you put it that way," he said, with laughter in his voice, "I think I'll be conceited all over again."

Lily snuggled into his chest and they sat there, perfectly content. James sighed happily.

_Yes,_ he thought, _I was really was six thousand, nine hundred and seventy second time lucky._

**EL FIN.**

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Winky: The end of our little fic!

Dobby: That's all, folks!

Winky: -----sob----- I can't believe we finally finished it!

Dobby: For the sequel, read the entire Harry Potter series.

Winky: Love it? Hate it? This is your last chance to REVIEW!

-----


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